U.S. patent number 5,893,500 [Application Number 09/085,803] was granted by the patent office on 1999-04-13 for vehicle article carrier.
This patent grant is currently assigned to JAC Products, Inc.. Invention is credited to John S. Cucheran, Donald R. Potter, Artur K. Rak.
United States Patent |
5,893,500 |
Cucheran , et al. |
April 13, 1999 |
Vehicle article carrier
Abstract
A vehicle article carrier having a pair of side rails, at least
one cross bar and a pair of bracket members secured at opposite
ends of the cross bar for adjustably supporting articles thereon
along said side rails. In one embodiment each bracket member
includes a rotator having a circumferential camming surface which
urges a locking member out of engagement with portions of the side
rails to permit the cross bar to be adjustably positioned along the
side rails. In another embodiment each bracket member includes a
lever member which has a circumferential camming surface used for
urging the locking member out of locking engagement with its
associated side rail. In yet another embodiment each bracket member
includes a slide member having a longitudinal camming surface. The
slide member is moved longitudinally to urge the locking member
into an open position to allow the bracket member to be adjustably
positioned along the side rails. A plurality of arrangements are
disclosed for securing the slide member to the bracket member while
permitting sliding movement of the slide member.
Inventors: |
Cucheran; John S. (Lake Orion,
MI), Potter; Donald R. (Clarkston, MI), Rak; Artur K.
(Warren, MI) |
Assignee: |
JAC Products, Inc. (Ann Arbor,
MI)
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Family
ID: |
25170419 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/085,803 |
Filed: |
May 27, 1998 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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797292 |
Feb 7, 1997 |
5794827 |
|
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573179 |
Dec 15, 1995 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/321;
224/326 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R
9/045 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60R
9/00 (20060101); B60R 9/045 (20060101); B60R
009/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;224/309,315,319,321-330 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Walczak; David J.
Assistant Examiner: Maust; Timothy L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Harness, Dickey & Pierce,
PLC
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/797,292,
filed Feb. 7, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,827 which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/573,179 filed Dec. 15,
1995, now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vehicle article carrier for supporting articles above an outer
body surface of a vehicle, said vehicle article carrier
comprising:
a pair of side rails adapted to be secured to said outer body
vehicle surface and extending along said outer body vehicle surface
generally parallel to one another, each said side rail including a
channel extending along at least a major portion of the length
thereof;
at least one cross bar having a length sufficient to span between
said side rails when positioned over said side rails generally
perpendicularly to each said side rail;
at least one bracket member secured to each end of said cross bar
for supporting said cross bar elevationally above said side rails
and said outer body vehicle surface, each said bracket member
comprising:
a housing having a recess and a base portion, said base portion
having an opening in communication with said recess;
a locking member movable relative to said housing, said locking
member having a neck portion extending through said opening in said
base portion;
a biasing member operably associated with said locking member for
urging said locking member in a locking direction; and
a manually engageable slide member disposed at least partially
within said recess for sliding longitudinal movement with respect
to said side rails, said slide member including a longitudinally
extending camming surface for cammingly urging said locking member
out of said locking position relative to said channel of said
associated side rail and into an unlocked position when said slide
member is moved from a locked position into an unlocked
position.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said recess of said housing
includes a mounting wall portion; and
a fastening member associated with at least one of said mounting
wall or said slide member for securing said slide member to said
mounting wall to prevent removal of said slide member from said
recess while still permitting slidable movement of said slide
member within said recess.
3. The article carrier claim 2, wherein said mounting wall includes
an opening; and
wherein said bracket member includes a threaded fastening member
adapted to extend through said opening into fixed engagement with a
portion of said slide member to secure said slide member within
said recess without impeding sliding movement of said slide member
within said recess.
4. A vehicle article carrier for supporting articles above an outer
body surface of a vehicle, said vehicle article carrier
comprising:
a pair of side rails secured to said outer body vehicle surface and
extending along said outer body vehicle surface generally parallel
to one another, each said side rail further including a channel
formed therein and extending along at least a major portion of the
length thereof;
at least one cross bar having a length sufficient to span between
said side rails when positioned over said side rails generally
perpendicularly to each said side rail;
at least one bracket member secured to each end of said cross bar
for supporting said cross bar elevationally above said side rails
and said outer body vehicle surface, each said bracket member
comprising:
a housing having a recess, a mounting wall, a flexible, protruding
tongue portion integrally formed from said mounting wall, and a
base portion having an opening formed therein;
a locking member projecting from said base portion and having a
neck portion extending through said opening in said recess, said
neck portion being moveable in the direction of said opening;
a biasing member interposed between said locking member and an
interior surface of said housing; and
a manually engageable slide member positioned at least partially
within said recess and including a longitudinally extending slot
engageable with said flexible, protruding tongue portion for
retaining said slide member in said recess and for permitting only
longitudinal sliding movement with respect to said side rails of
said slide member, said slide member further including a
longitudinally extending camming surface for cammingly urging said
locking member between locked and unlocked positions as said slide
member is moved slidably between locked and unlocked positions.
5. The vehicle article carrier of claim 4, wherein said slide
member includes an exterior rear surface having a notch formed
therein for engaging with said flexible, protruding tongue portion
when said slide member is inserted into said recess during assembly
of said slide member to facilitate engagement of said flexible,
protruding tongue portion within said longitudinally extending slot
of said slide member.
6. The vehicle article carrier of claim 4, wherein said slide
member has an outer surface shaped to conform with a curvature of
an outer surface of said bracket member to present an aesthetically
pleasing appearance and a raised portion for facilitating
engagement with one or more fingers of a hand of a user to enable
said slide member to be moved slidably longitudinally by said user
between locked and unlocked positions.
7. A vehicle article carrier for supporting articles above an outer
body surface of a vehicle, said vehicle article carrier
comprising:
a pair of side rails secured to said outer body surface and
extending along said outer body surface parallel to one another,
each said side rail further including a channel formed therein and
extending along at least a major portion of the length thereof;
at least one cross bar having a length sufficient to span between
said side rails when positioned over said side rails generally
perpendicularly to each said side rail;
at least one bracket member secured to each end of said cross bar
for supporting said cross bar elevationally above said side rails
and said outer body surface, each said bracket member
comprising:
a housing having a recess, a mounting wall having a slot, and a
base portion having an opening formed therein;
a locking member projecting from said base portion and having a
neck portion extending through said opening into said recess, said
neck portion being moveable in the direction of said opening;
a biasing member interposed between said locking member and an
interior surface of said housing; and
a manually, slidably moveable slide member positioned at least
partially within said recess, said slide member including a
mounting portion having a bore in alignment with said slot in said
mounting wall, said slide member being moveable slidably within
said recess and said housing between locked and unlocked
positions;
said slide member further including a longitudinal camming surface
for engaging with said locking member to urge said locking member
between locked and unlocked positions as said slide member is moved
slidably longitudinally with respect to said side rails between
closed and opened positions, respectively; and
a fastening member extending through said slot in said mounting
wall and engaging within said bore of said slide member for
securing said slide member within said recess while still
permitting longitudinal sliding movement of said slide member in
said recess.
8. The vehicle article carrier of claim 7, wherein said locking
member includes a base plate having a pair of raised surfaces
formed thereon;
wherein said associated one of said side rails includes a plurality
of notches formed therein; and
said pair of raised surfaces engaging with a respective pair of
said notches when said slide member is urged into said locked
position such that said locking member cannot move slidably within
said channel of said associated side rail.
9. The vehicle article carrier of claim 7, wherein said biasing
member comprises a length of curved spring steel having a cut-out
for engaging with said locking member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to vehicle article carriers, and more
particularly to an adjustable vehicle article carrier for
supporting articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle such
as a roof or deck lid of a vehicle.
2. Discussion
Vehicle article carriers are used in a wide-variety of applications
to support a variety of articles above an outer body surface of a
vehicle such as a roof or deck lid of the vehicle. Some vehicle
article carriers are adjustable via one or more cross bars which
may be adjustably positioned along a pair of raised side rails
fixedly secured to an outer body surface of the vehicle. Such
vehicle article carriers are shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,684,048, 4,982,886 and 5,082,158, all assigned to the assignee of
the present application.
The vehicle article carriers in use at the present time and those
embodied in the above-mentioned U.S. patents have proven to be very
useful for the purpose of transporting articles which are either
too large or awkward to be transported within the interior of a
vehicle. Nevertheless, there still remains a need for a vehicle
article carrier having a means for adjusting the position of at
least one cross bar of the carrier in a manner which is extremely
simple in construction and requires only a minimum number of parts
to accomplish locking of an adjustable cross bar at a desired
location along a pair of side rails.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects are provided by a vehicle article
carrier in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present
invention. In one preferred embodiment, the vehicle article carrier
of the present invention includes a pair of outer side rails each
having a channel formed therein, with each of the outer side rails
being fixedly secured to an outer body surface of a vehicle and
positioned generally parallel to one another. A cross bar is
provided which has at its outermost ends a pair of bracket members
fixedly secured thereto. The bracket members releasably engage with
the outer side rails to allow the cross bar to be quickly locked in
position on the side rails such that the cross bar is not moveable
longitudinally along the outer side rails. Each bracket member also
includes a manually actuable control which releases each bracket
member from its outer side rail to allow the cross bar to be
easily, slidably positioned along the outer side rails at a desired
position in order to support articles of varying dimensions
thereon.
In one preferred embodiment, each bracket member includes a recess
formed in an outer surface thereof and an opening formed in a base
portion. A neck portion of a locking member extends through the
opening in the base portion into the recess. The locking member
includes a base plate which is of dimensions enabling it to reside
within the channel of an associated outer side rail and to move
slidably within the channel when the bracket member is in an
unlocked position. A rotator is positioned partially within the
recess and rotatably mounted within the recess. The rotator
includes a circumferential camming surface which is positioned to
abuttingly engage a head portion of the locking member. A biasing
member is also positioned within the bracket member and is operably
coupled to the neck portion to cause the locking member to be urged
into abutting (i.e., clamping) engagement with the channel of the
associated side rail when the rotator is in a "locked" position.
When the rotator is rotated into an "unlocked" position, the
camming surface urges the neck portion outwardly of the bracket
member such that the base plate becomes disengaged (i.e.,
unclamped) within the channel, thereby allowing the bracket member
to be slidably, adjustably positioned along the side rail while the
rotator is held in the unlocked position. The rotator is
constructed such that it may be engaged with two or more fingers of
a hand of the user and easily rotated with a minimal degree of
effort. The biasing member causes the locking member to be urged
into locking engagement within the channel of the side rail once
the rotator is released.
In the preferred embodiment, the channel of each outer side rail
includes a pair of overhanging ledge portions which each have a
plurality of holes formed therein in spaced-apart fashion. The base
plate of the locking member also includes a pair of raised portions
which are positioned to engage within a pair of the notches in the
overhanging ledge portions when aligned with the pair of notches,
and when the locking member is urged into the locked position by
appropriate rotation of the rotator.
In the preferred embodiment, the rotator includes a pair of
depressions formed on opposite sides of a central member and is
positioned within the recess such that it is substantially flush
with an outer surface of the bracket member. The depressions allow
the fingers of a hand to easily grasp the central member to rotate
the rotator. In an alternative preferred embodiment a lever member
is incorporated which is rotationally mounted to the bracket
member. The lever member includes a circumferential camming portion
which urges the locking member linearly into an unlocked position
when the lever member is rotated to an open or unlocked position,
and which permits the biasing member to urge the locking member
into a locked position when the lever member is rotated into a
closed or locked position.
In another alternative preferred embodiment, a slide member is
positioned slidably within a recess formed in the bracket member.
The slide member includes a longitudinal camming surface and is
moveable slidably longitudinally to urge the locking member from a
locked to an unlocked position to allow the biasing member to urge
the locking member back into a locked position when the slide
member is moved into a closed or locked position. In one preferred
form, the slide member is retained within the recess of the bracket
member by a flexible, protruding tongue portion formed on an
interior wall of the bracket member which engages within a
longitudinally extending slot formed in the slide member. Once the
slide member is assembled into the recess, it can be moved slidably
longitudinally but cannot be lifted out of the recess of the
bracket member. In another preferred form the slide member is
retained within the recess of the bracket member by an independent
fastening member which extends through a slot formed in a wall of
the bracket member and fixedly into an interior surface wall
portion of the slide member. In this manner, once assembled in the
recess of the bracket member the slide member can be moved slidably
in accordance with the length of the slot formed in the wall of the
bracket member but cannot be removed from the recess.
The preferred embodiments thus include a minimum number of moving
parts to accomplish convenient locking and unlocking of the bracket
member at desired locations along the length of an associated side
rail. The clamping engagement provided by the locking member of
each bracket member and the engagement of the raised surfaces with
a corresponding pair of the notches in the channel member serve to
provide extremely secure clamping of the cross bar at a large
plurality of desired locations along the side rails.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The various advantages of the present invention will become
apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the following
specification and subjoined claims and by referencing the following
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle showing a
preferred embodiment of the vehicle article carrier of the present
invention secured to an outer body surface of the vehicle;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bracket member;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in accordance with section
line 3--3 in FIG. 1 showing the internal structure of the bracket
member and the side rail in cross-section with the locking member
in a locked position;
FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the bracket member and the
side rail showing the bracket member in an unlocked position;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking member of the present
invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the biasing member of the present
invention;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken in accordance with section
line 7--7 in FIG. 3 showing the bracket member in the locked
position;
FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the rotator;
FIG. 9 is a view of the rotator taken in accordance with
directional line 9--9 in FIG. 8 showing a portion of the camming
surface thereof; and
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the rotator;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a vehicle on which a vehicle
article carrier in accordance with an alternative preferred
embodiment of the present invention is mounted;
FIG. 12 is a side view of one bracket member of the vehicle article
carrier shown in FIG. 11 showing the lever member of the bracket
member in the locked or closed position;
FIG. 13 is a view of the bracket member of FIG. 12 showing lever
member in an open or unlocked position;
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the bracket member in
accordance with section line 14--14 in FIG. 12;
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view in accordance with section line
15--15 in FIG. 12 illustrating the bracket member in the locked
position;
FIG. 16 is a view of an inside surface of the lever member of one
of the bracket members showing the bracket member in the locked
position;
FIG. 17 is a view of the bracket member of FIG. 16 with the bracket
member in the unlocked position;
FIG. 18 is an exploded cross-sectional view of an alternative
preferred embodiment of the bracket member of the present
invention;
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the bracket member of FIG. 18
in the locked position;
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the slide member used with the
bracket member of FIGS. 18 and 19;
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the tab used to hold the slide
member within the recess in the bracket member housing;
FIG. 22 is a partial cross-sectional view of the slide member in
accordance with section line 22--22 in FIG. 20;
FIG. 23 is a partial side cross-sectional view in accordance with
section line 23--23 in FIG. 19 showing the slide member and the
locking member both in their locked positions;
FIG. 24 is a view of the bracket member of FIG. 19 in the unlocked
position;
FIG. 25 is a partial side cross-sectional view in accordance with
section line 25--25 in FIG. 24 of the locking member and the slide
member in the unlocked position;
FIG. 26 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative preferred
embodiment of the bracket member of FIGS. 18-25;
FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the bracket
member of FIG. 26 in accordance with section line 27--27 in FIG.
26;
FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a portion of an alternative
preferred form of the outer side rail of the vehicle article
carrier; and
FIG. 29 is a perspective view of another alternative preferred form
of the outer side rail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a vehicle 12 having an outer
body surface 14 upon which a vehicle article carrier 10 in
accordance with the present invention is mounted. The vehicle
article carrier 10 comprises a pair of outer side rails 16 fixedly
secured to the outer body surface 14 and positioned generally
parallel to one another. The outer side rails 16 are also
positioned so as to extend along a major length of the outer body
surface 14. Optionally, a plurality of intermediate slats 17 could
be provided and secured to the outer body surface 14. A fixed
across bar 18 is provided as is an adjustable cross bar 20. It will
be appreciated, however, that two adjustable cross bars 20 could
just as readily be provided but that in most applications it is
anticipated that only one of the two cross bars will need to be
adjustable. The adjustable cross bar 20 has outermost end portions
22 to which are fixedly secured a pair of bracket members 24. The
bracket members 24 are adjustably positionable along the length of
each of their respective outer side rails 16 to enable the cross
bar 20 to be positioned relative to the cross bar 18 as needed to
support variously sized articles thereon.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, one of the bracket members 24 is shown
in greater detail. With specific reference to FIG. 3, each bracket
member 24 includes a housing 26 having an outer surface 28 and an
inner surface 30. The outer surface 28 includes a hollowed out
portion or recess 32 formed in part by a generally circular opening
34. A rotator 36 is positioned in the recess 32 and is of a
generally circular configuration having a diameter just slightly
smaller than the circular opening 34 so as to fit within the
circular opening 34 when assembled to the housing 26.
With further reference to FIG. 3, the inner surface 30 of the
housing includes an integrally formed mounting post 38 which
extends generally perpendicularly from the inner surface 30. The
mounting post 38 includes a centrally disposed opening in the form
of a bore 40. Both the mounting post 38 and the bore 40 are
disposed so as to be at the approximate geometric center of the
circular opening 34. The housing 26 further includes a base portion
42 having an opening in the form of a bore 44 extending
therethrough. A plurality of foot portions 46 (visible in FIG. 2)
are also integrally formed with the base portion 42. The cross bar
20 (FIG. 1) is fixedly secured to the housing 26 via one or more
threaded screws (not shown) in conventional fashion such that the
cross bar 20 and the bracket members 24 form a rigid, sturdy and
unitary member.
With further reference to FIG. 2, the rotator 36 includes an outer
surface 48 having a pair of depressions or recesses 50 formed on
opposite sides of a central member 52. Thus, the rotator 36 can be
easily rotated manually by a user by gripping the central member 52
with two or more fingers of a hand and turning the rotator 36
either clockwise or counterclockwise.
Referring again to FIG. 3, the bracket member 24 can be seen in the
locked position. The rotator 36 is secured to the mounting post 38
by a threaded screw 54 or other similar fastening member which
extends through the bore 40 and threadably engages within an
opening 56 in the rotator 36. The rotator 36 also includes a
centrally disposed boss portion 58 having an opening 60 which
receives the mounting post 38. In this manner, the rotator 36 is
free to rotate about the mounting post 38 while being secured
thereto. It will be appreciated that any form of attachment of the
rotator 36 to the mounting post could be used provided it allows
for easy rotation of the rotator 36.
With further reference to FIGS. 3 and 8-10, the construction of the
rotator 36 can be seen in even greater detail. The rotator 36
includes a camming surface 62 extending circumferentially around a
portion of the opening 60. The camming surface 62 includes a flat
portion 62a (visible in sections 8 and 10), the function of which
will be described momentarily. With specific reference to FIGS. 9
and 10, the slope of the camming surface 62 is clearly apparent. It
will be appreciated also that while the camming surface 62 is shown
as extending approximately 180.degree. around the opening 60, that
the camming surface 62 could be of a greater or lesser arc of
travel. For example, the camming surface 62 could be formed to
extend over a 90.degree. arc of travel, which would obviously
require a more pronounced (i.e., steeper) slope. It is anticipated
that the 180.degree. arc of travel of the camming surface, as
indicated in FIG. 8, will be most desired to provide a convenient
and comfortable locking and unlocking action of the rotator 36.
With further reference to FIG. 3, the bracket member 24 can be seen
to include a locking member 64 which extends through the bore 44.
With brief reference to FIG. 5, the locking member 64 includes a
base plate 66, a neck portion 68 and a head portion 70. The neck
portion 68 includes a pair of notches 72 which form an intermediate
length 73. The base plate 66 includes a pair of raised surfaces 74
positioned directly across from one another. The neck portion 68
and head portion 70 are integrally formed with the base plate 66 by
being stamped or cut-out of the base plate 66 and then bent so as
to extend generally perpendicularly from the base plate 66.
Similarly, the raised surfaces 74 are formed by being stamped from
the base plate 66. It will be appreciated, however, that the neck
portion 68 and the raised surfaces 74 could be formed from
independent components if desired. It will be appreciated then that
the locking member 64 could take a variety of different designs
provided some form of base plate and some form of neck portion are
included.
With further reference to FIG. 3, each outer side rail 16 includes
an outer wall 76, an inner wall 78 and a pair of overhanging ledge
portions 80 which help to form a channel 82. The outer side rails
are each supported on an optional mounting pad 84 and secured to
the outer body surface 14 of the vehicle 12 (FIG. 1) via threaded
screws in the conventional manner. Each outer side rail 16 is
preferably roll-formed from a single piece of suitably strong
material such as steel, but it could also be formed from multiple
sections of material secured together with suitable fastening
elements.
With further reference to FIGS. 3 and 7, it can be seen that the
overhanging ledge portions 80 each include a plurality of
spaced-apart notches 86. The notches 86 are adapted to engage with
the raised surfaces 74 of the locking member 64 when the locking
member 64 is urged into the locked position, as shown in FIG. 3.
This feature of the present invention will be described more fully
in the following paragraphs. It will also be appreciated that the
notches 86 could alternatively be formed so as to extend completely
through the overhanging ledge portions 80 if desired. It will also
be appreciated that conventional side rails without notches could
also be employed and still provide excellent securing of the cross
bar 20 at a desired location along the side rails 16.
With further reference to FIGS. 3 and 6, the bracket member 24 also
includes a biasing member 88. The biasing member 88, as shown in
FIG. 6, is formed from a length of spring steel having a T-shaped
cut-out 90 and a lip portion 92 resulting from the cut-out 90. The
lip portion 92 includes a V-shaped section 92a for engaging with
the head portion 70 of the locking member 64. The biasing member 88
is formed with a slight curvature to impart a biasing force on the
locking member 64 when coupled to the locking member 64 and
positioned within the recess 32.
Referring further to FIGS. 3 and 6, the intermediate length 73 of
the locking member 64 engages within the T-shaped cut-out 90 of the
biasing member 88 such that a portion 90a of the biasing member
rests on shoulders 72a of the locking member 64. As the biasing
member 88 is moved slightly longitudinally, the V-shaped portion
92a of the lip portion 92 slides over the head portion 70 such that
the head portion 70 is captured in the V-shaped portion 92a, as
shown in FIG. 7.
When the rotator 36 is in the "locked" position shown in FIG. 3,
the base plate 66 is urged upwardly towards the overhanging ledge
portions 80 such that the raised surfaces 74 engage within a
corresponding pair of notches 86 of the ledge portions 80. When it
is desired to reposition the cross bar 20 the rotator 36 is grasped
with two or more fingers of a hand and rotated into an "unlocked"
position. This causes the camming surface 62 to urge the head
portion 70, and thus the entire locking member 64, downwardly
against the biasing force of the biasing member 88. This causes the
raised surfaces 74 to move out of engagement with the notches 86,
as shown in FIG. 4.
When the rotator 36 is urged fully into the unlocked position, the
head portion 70 and V-shaped lip portion 92a move into contact with
the flat portion 62a of the camming surface 62. At this point the
rotator 36 may be released and the flat portion 62a holds the
locking member 64 in its unlocked position. While the rotator 36 is
in the unlocked position, the entire bracket member 24 may be slid
freely along its outer side rail 16 to a new desired position. Once
the rotator is repositioned, the rotator 36 may be urged back into
the locked position and the force provided by the biasing member 88
again urges the head portion 70 of the locking member 64 upwardly
until the raised surfaces 74 engage within a new pair of notches
86. In this regard, it will be appreciated that if the raised
surfaces 74 of the locking member 64 are not positioned directly
underneath a pair of notches 86 that a further degree of slight
longitudinal adjustment will be required of the bracket member 24
before the raised surfaces 74 will engage with a corresponding pair
of notches 86.
The bracket members 24 of the vehicle article carrier 10 also form
a gradually curving profile, as shown in FIG. 3, which is
aerodynamically advantageous as well as aesthetically pleasing when
the bracket members 24 are secured to their respective outer side
rails 16. The rotator outer surface 48 remains substantially flush
with the outer surface 28 of its bracket member 24 regardless of
the rotational position of the rotator 36. Since each bracket
member 24 is positively clamped to its associated side rail, there
is virtually no wobble, vibration or other objectionable movement
or noise generated as the vehicle travels over rough terrain, which
may occur with prior developed article carrier systems.
The rotator 36 further allows the bracket member 24 to be quickly
and easily clamped and unclamped from the outer side rails 16 to
allow the cross bar 20 to be readily repositioned along the outer
side rails 16 if repositioning of the cross bar 20 is needed.
Securing of the brackets 24 to the outer side rails 16 is
accomplished with a minimum number of moving component parts and
without complex construction techniques. The bracket housing 26 is
preferably molded from a suitable high-strength plastic. The
locking member 64 is preferably formed from a single section of
metal. The rotator 36 is also preferably molded from a single piece
of suitably strong plastic.
Referring now to FIG. 11, there is shown a vehicle article carrier
100 in accordance with an alternative preferred embodiment of the
present invention. The vehicle article carrier 100 is illustrated
secured to the outer body surface 14 of the vehicle 12. A pair of
outer side rails or slats 116 are fixedly mounted to the outer body
surface 14. Optionally, intermediate slats 17 could also be secured
to the outer body surface 14 to provide additional protection
thereto.
The vehicle article carrier 100 also comprises adjustable cross
bars 118 and 120. Each cross bar 118 and 120 is supported on the
outer side rails 116 by a pair of bracket members 124 secured at
the outermost ends 122 of each cross bar 118, 120. It will be
appreciated, however, that while two adjustable cross bars are
illustrated, that the vehicle article carrier 100 could just as
easily incorporate one adjustable cross bar and one cross bar which
is fixedly secured for non-adjustable movement to the outer side
rails 116. In either event, the vehicle article carrier 100 is not
limited to one configuration or the other.
With reference now to FIGS. 12-17, the locking and unlocking action
provided by each bracket member 124 will be described. Initially,
however, it will be understood that the bracket member 124
incorporates two components, a locking member and a biasing member,
which are identical in construction to locking member 64 and
biasing member 88, respectively, described in connection with the
discussion of bracket member 24. Accordingly, the description of
these components will not be repeated and they will be denoted by
reference numerals 64 and 88, respectively.
With initial reference to FIGS. 12, 14 and 15 the bracket member
124 includes a housing 126 having an outer surface 128, an inner
wall 130 and a bottom portion 131 (FIG. 15). The bottom portion 131
has an opening 133 through which the neck portion 68 of the locking
member 64 protrudes. The outer surface 128 includes a hollowed out
portion or recess 132. A lever member 134 is mounted partially
within the recess 132. The lever member 134 has an outer surface
136 having a contour which blends in with the contour of the outer
surface 128 of the housing 126 to provide a gradually curving,
aerodynamically efficient and aesthetically pleasing appearance to
the bracket member 124. A depression 164 (FIG. 14) is integrally
formed in the outer surface 136 for allowing one or more fingers to
be inserted therein and used to urge the lever member 134
rotationally between open and closed (i.e., unlocked and locked,
respectively) positions.
With reference to FIG. 15, the inner wall 130 includes a mounting
post 138 or section having a generally circular configuration, a
bore 140 formed coaxially therethrough and a small recessed area
142 formed in a rear outer surface portion 144 thereof. The lever
member 134 includes a boss portion 146 having a centrally disposed
bore 148 and an annular support portion 150. The boss portion 146
is of a diameter permitting it to be inserted within a recessed
area 152 of the mounting post 138 while the annular support portion
150 fits within a partial circumferential channel 154 formed around
the mounting post 138. An external fastening element, in this
instance a screw 156 having a portion of its shaft threaded, is
inserted through the bore 140 and threadably engaged with the bore
148 to hold the lever member 134 to the mounting post 138. This
permits rotational movement of the lever member 134 relative to the
mounting post 138. The small recessed area 142 enables the head of
screw 156 to be positioned slightly below the rear outer surface
portion 144 so as not to protrude visibly therefrom.
With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the lever member 134 includes a
camming surface 158 extending circumferentially about a portion of
an interior surface 160 thereof. The camming surface 158 includes a
lip portion 162 for limiting rotational travel of the lever member
134 in the open or unlocked direction. It will be appreciated,
however, that a variety of other means could be substituted for the
lip portion 162 to limit rotational movement of the lever member
134. Such means could include a protruding shoulder or tab formed
on the inner wall 130 protruding into the recess 132. A lower
inside edge surface 164a (FIG. 16) of the depression 164 abuts an
upper surface 131a of the bottom portion 131 of the housing 126 to
limit rotational movement of the lever member 134 in the locking
direction.
As is also apparent from FIGS. 14 and 16, the housing 126 of the
bracket member 124 includes a pair of integrally formed, T-shaped
foot portions 166. The T-shaped foot portions 166 ride within the
channel 82 of the outer side rail 116 to prevent the bracket member
124 from being lifted off of the outer side rail 116. The housing
126 of the bracket member 124, as well as the lever member 134, may
each be formed from a variety of materials and are each preferably
injection molded from a suitably high strength plastic.
Referring now to FIGS. 15 and 16, the locking member 64 can be seen
in a locked position. With the lever member 134 in the locked
(i.e., closed) position shown in FIG. 16, the camming surface 158
is positioned so as to just barely make contact with the biasing
member 88. This permits the biasing member 88 to hold the locking
member 64 in an elevated position such that raised surfaces 74 of
the locking member 64 engage within a corresponding pair of notches
86 (FIG. 15) formed in the outer side rail 116. This engagement is
identical to that described in connection with the embodiment of
FIGS. 4 and 7. As the lever member 134 is rotated into the unlocked
(i.e., "open") position shown in FIG. 17, the camming surface 158
bears down on the biasing member 88. This causes the entire locking
member 64 to be urged downwardly such that the raised surfaces 74
of the locking member 64 become disengaged from an associated pair
of notches 86 in the outer side rail 116. The lip portion 162
limits the rotational travel of the lever member 134 to a
predetermined range. The entire bracket member 124 may then be
moved slidably longitudinally along the outer side rail 116 to be
repositioned as needed.
Referring now to FIGS. 18 and 19, a bracket member 200 in
accordance with an alternative preferred embodiment of the present
invention is shown. The bracket member 200 includes a recessed area
202 formed in a gradually curving outer side portion 204 into which
a slide member 206 is inserted. The recess 202 is formed in part by
an inner wall 208 having a flexible, protruding tongue portion 210
integrally formed therefrom and a base portion 212 having an
opening 214 formed therein. The tongue portion 210 is formed so as
to extend outwardly of the inner wall 208 and has a thickness
providing it with a slight degree of flexibility. With brief
reference to FIG. 21, the tongue portion 210 is illustrated in
perspective with a portion of the inner wall 208.
With reference to FIGS. 19, 20 and 22, the slide member 206 has an
outer surface 218 having a contour formed to blend in with the
outer surface 204 of the bracket member 200 to provide an
aerodynamically efficient, aesthetically appealing and integrally
formed appearance. Integrally formed with the outer surface 218 is
a raised portion 219 which is grippable with one or more fingers to
enable the slide member 206 to be easily slid between locked and
unlocked positions. The slide member 206 also includes an elongated
slot 220 which is formed in a wall portion 222 thereof. It will be
noted that slot 220 is not so deep as to extend completely through
wall portion 222. A tapered notch 224 extends generally
perpendicularly to the slot 220.
With specific reference to FIG. 22, the slide member 206 includes a
longitudinal camming surface 226. Camming surface 226 includes a
first portion 228 which corresponds to a "locked" position, an
intermediate or second portion 230 which causes movement of the
locking member 64 vertically when the slide member 206 is moved
horizontally in the recess 202, and a third portion 232 which
corresponds to an "unlocked" position.
With reference now to FIGS. 18 and 19, the slide member 206 is
inserted in accordance with directional arrow 233 during assembly
of the bracket member 200. As the slide member 206 is lowered into
the recess 202, the tongue portion 210 engages within the notched
portion 224 and is urged to the right in the drawing of FIG. 19 by
the notch 224 as the slide member 206 moves into the recess 202.
Just before the slide member 206 becomes fully inserted in the
recess 202, the tongue portion 210 snappingly engages within slot
220. At this point the slide member 206 cannot be lifted out of the
recess 202 but can be slid longitudinally in accordance with the
length of slot 220. Accordingly, the length of slot 220 defines the
maximum possible sliding travel of the slide member 206. Of course,
it will be appreciated that the length of the recess 202 also
limits the sliding longitudinal travel of the slide member 206.
With reference to FIGS. 19 and 23, the slide member 206 is shown in
its locked position. The first portion 228 of the camming surface
226 is just barely engaged with the biasing member 88. The raised
surfaces 74 of the locking member 64 are engaged within a
corresponding pair of notches 86 in the outer side rail 116. In
this regard it will be appreciated that the construction of the
locking member 64, the biasing member 88 and the outer side rail
116 are identical to that previously described herein. In this
position the bracket member 200 cannot be moved longitudinally
along the outer side rail 116.
Referring to FIGS. 24 and 25, as the slide member 206 is moved
slidably to the right in the drawing of FIG. 25, the camming
surface 226 urges the biasing member 88, and therefore the locking
member 64, downwardly to cause the raised surfaces 74 to become
disengaged from the notches 86. Portion 232 of the camming surface
226 allows the locking member 64 to be held in its unlocked
position against the biasing force of biasing member 88 even if the
operator releases the slide member 206. In this position the
bracket member 206 can be repositioned at a new, desired position
along the outer side rail 116.
Referring now to FIG. 26, a bracket member 300 in accordance with
another alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention
is shown. It will be appreciated that bracket member 300 is similar
to the bracket member 200 and like components are denoted in FIGS.
26 and 27 by reference numerals corresponding to those used in
FIGS. 18-25 but increased by 100. The bracket member 300 differs
from the bracket member 200 only in that the tongue portion 210 has
been omitted and a slot 340 (FIG. 27) formed in place thereof in
the inner wall 308 of the housing 304, and also by a bore 344
formed in the wall portion 322 in place of the slot 220. The slot
340 cooperates with an external fastening element 342 threadably
engaged in the bore 344 to hold the slide member 306 in the recess
302. All other operational features are identical to those
described in connection with the bracket member 200 of FIGS. 18-25.
With specific reference to FIG. 27, the overall length of the slot
340 defines the maximum length of sliding travel of the slide
member 306.
During assembly, the slide member 306 is lowered into the recess
302 and then the external fastening element 342 is threadably
engaged in the bore 344. The locking and unlocking action is
identical to that described in connection with FIGS. 18-25.
Referring now to FIGS. 28 and 29, alternative preferred embodiments
of the outer side rail 116 are illustrated. With regard to FIG. 28,
the outer side rail 400 includes a pair of inwardly depending lip
portions 402 which each include a plurality of spaced apart notches
404. With brief reference to FIG. 29, another outer side rail 500
is shown having lip portions 502. The lip portions 502 each have
notches 504 formed in spaced-apart fashion. The embodiments 400 and
500 illustrate that the notches incorporated in the outer side
rails 116 of the present invention could be placed in a variety of
positions without requiring significant modification of the raised
surfaces 74 of the locking member 64. In some instances, no
modification whatsoever of the locking member 64 may be needed.
Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing
description that the broad teachings of the present invention can
be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this
invention has been described in connection with particular examples
thereof, the true scope of the invention should not be so limited
since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled
practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification and
following claims.
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